Tizanadine

[lisa g]

Curious if anyone else is taking Tizanadine for spasticity? Is it working or causing any side effects? My neuro tried me on Baclofen but I didn't tolerate it. It seemed to make my legs weaker. I'm starting on 2mg of tizanadine at night for a week than increase another 2mg during the day if I tolerate it.

 

[affected]

Any medication that is used to treat spasticity can seem to make you weaker, as the increased muscle tone of the spasticity can make you seem stronger. When you relieve all that tension, the weakness can become more apparent.
Sorry that didn't directly answer your question, but I thought it was worth noting.

 

[KevinM]

Lisa, I recall a member, DogLady, who I think might no longer be with us, that switched to Tizanadine and found it much more helpful. She tolerated it just fine.

 

[ShiftKicker]

I take Tizanidine. I found Baclofen's side effects intolerable (swallowing difficulties, weakness, mental fog). Tizanidine knocks me out for 4 to 6 hours and provides some relief from night time spasticity. I can't take it during waking hours, as it'll knock me out, no matter how small the dose- but it seems to clear from my system within a few hours so that I don't have any side effects like sleepiness or brain fog the day after I take it.

I am finding that it is causing a bit too much relaxation now though and I am getting joint instability (causing pain) from lying in one position for too long. I may have to stop taking it due to the pain and joint stuff, but it sure worked wonders for about 3 years.

The effects can be enhanced by caffeine, so if you take a tablet in the morning with your coffee, it might cause some weakness issues or sleepiness when you're not expecting.

 

[lisa g]

Thanks for the replies. I worry about daytime use. We'll see how it goes. I'm still mobile but you can see the spasticity in my legs when I walk. I'm hoping that this will help.

 

[old dog]

I might be "Dog Lady," and I'm still around. I've taken tizanidine for about 10 years. I take one 2 mg tablet at bedtime. I've found that it's more effective than baclofen for restless legs and mild cramping. I was taking two 2 mg tablets but blood tests showed a liver enzyme was slightly elevated (a possible side effect), so I cut back to one pill. I also take baclofen - 10 mg. in the morning and 10 mg. at bedtime. I've evidently developed a tolerance, because I'm seldom sleepy in the daytime. I do find I need at least nine hours of sleep.

 

[lisa g]

I have been on Tizanidine for a week now only taking 2mg at bedtime. Neurologist had said if it was well tolerated to add another 2mg during the day. Yesterday at 3:00 I took my first dose during the day. I didn't get sleepy so I took that as a good sign. Then at 8:00 it hit me. I was so relaxed my body felt like jello. Nowhere in the pamphlet from the drug store did it mention that it was time released. No way could I function during the day like that so I'll give it another try during the day if I have nothing planned otherwise I'll stick to taking it at bedtime.

 

[BlsdMama]

I love tizanadine. It can be hard on the liver so keep an eye on that. I despise Baclofen and it makes me feel like a landlubber on a ship. I am giving Flexerall a try because I don’t want to tax my liver. Tizanadine has a cross so it can be split into fourths. I find I can take 1/4-1/2 and stay awake, but more than that, I crash. Both Flexerall and Tizanadine help me sleep better with Flexerall doing a better job paired with time release melatonin. I don’t use Flexerall during the day because I feel off balanced but not as bad as Baclofen. Hope that helps!

 

[lisa g]

Unfortunately my tizanidine is in capsule form not tablets so cutting it won't work. I'll ask the pharmacy for tablet form when I have to refill it so for now I'll have to stick with taking it at bedtime.